Find out how popular the last name Cox is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cox.

Cox, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cox surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cox in America

Cox is the 78th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cox surname appeared 261,231 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 89 people would have the surname Cox.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cox to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cox

The surname Cox originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English word 'coc', meaning a lookout or watchman. It was an occupational name given to those who worked as sentries or guards, particularly in coastal regions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the name Cox or similar spellings like Coc and Cok.

In the 13th century, the name Cox appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed people with the surname Cox or its variants in counties such as Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset.

The surname Cox was also associated with certain place names, such as Coxheath in Kent, which derived its name from the Old English words 'coc' and 'hæth', meaning a lookout on a heath or open land.

Notable individuals with the surname Cox throughout history include:

1. Sir Richard Cox (1650-1733), an Anglo-Irish historian and author of the "Hibernia Anglicana" and other works on Irish history.
2. David Cox (1783-1859), an English landscape painter known for his watercolor paintings of Birmingham and the surrounding areas.
3. Kenyon Cox (1856-1919), an American painter, illustrator, and writer who was a leading figure in the American Renaissance movement.
4. James M. Cox (1870-1957), an American politician and publisher who served as the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio and was the Democratic nominee for President in 1920.
5. Renée Cox (born 1960), an American contemporary artist known for her thought-provoking and often controversial mixed-media works exploring themes of race, gender, and identity.

While the surname Cox has evolved over time, it remains a testament to the occupational roots and historical significance of those who once served as watchmen and sentries in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cox

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cox.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cox was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cox has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cox was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cox, please contact us.

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